Ankara, Dec 26, IRNA -- Turkey's Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner
Yildiz said on Wednesday that his country would continue purchasing oil from
Iran.

“Under any circumstances we will continue purchasing crude oil from Iran
like in the past," Yildiz said in an interview with reporters.

In June, Washington exempted Turkey and six other countries from its
sanctions against Iran's oil sector for six months in return for a 20
percent cut in Ankara's purchase of Iranian crude oil.

The US Senate has also approved further bans on trade with Iran's energy and
shipping sectors. Under the new package, which has not yet tuned into law,
exemptions stand for countries that have made significant cuts in their
imports of Iranian crude oil.

"There is no new demand from the US to reduce the amount of crude oil which
we get from Iran," Yildiz said.

Official figures show Turkey's crude oil imports from Iran dropped by more
than 30 percent in October compared with September, pushing Iran to the
third place among Turkey’s oil suppliers, behind Russia and Iraq. As for
natural gas, however, Iran ranks second after Russia.